Mnangagwa's govt reviewing city by-laws to manage vendors

LOCAL Government minister July Moyo says government is reviewing harsh by-laws targeted at managing vendors in a bid to contain cholera outbreaks.

Addressing councillors from across the Midlands province during an induction workshop in Gweru, Moyo said it was imperative for councils to guard against excessive use of force on vendors.

"If an old granny is caught selling tomatoes in the central business district, should we unleash ZRP on her and take her to court? If she is to be made to pay a fine, how much could it be? No, that is too much enforcement and it must not be like that. It will also be a waste of resources, on the other hand, to pursue issues like that," the minister said.

"We are seriously thinking about the by-laws that have been made by city councils, especially against vendors. We need to ensure that all actions are in line with the Acts of Parliament that govern operations of councils such as the Urban Councils Act."

Moyo urged councillors to rein in council management staff caught in corruption, which he said was detrimental to development.

"Local authorities are the lower tier of government and if things are not done properly at that level, they will have an impact on the nation at large.

Therefore, councillors have the high mandate to thwart maladministration in councils. Here, I mean corruption, nepotism and mismanagement by executives such as town clerks or rural district council chief executives," he said.

He also urged councillors to separate council matters from individual political interests, and to be motivated by development and progress.